US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is touring Denham Springs today, one year after the majority of the town was under water. Jeff Palermo reports…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”
Carson praised the recovery efforts of the state, and acknowledged that regulation can be improved.

LSU has announced that fans will have to wait a little longer to take pictures and get autographs from their favorite players and coaches, as the annual Fan Day has been moved to the spring. Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said there are many construction projects taking place on campus which just didn’t make Fan Day feasible this fall.

An audit of the state’s foster care program unveiled some not-so-surprising shortcomings. Karen Leblanc with the legislative auditor’s office says they found not all foster care providers had the required criminal background checks. They either had no check, or they were not completed in a timely manner. She says that’s not the only shocking discovery they made.
Cut 12 (10) “foster care provider”
says they’ve been trying to call attention to the problem after the department lost 2,000 workers, and they are working on ways around it.

The new all-suite, 166-guest American Duchess makes her inaugural sail today out of the Port of New Orleans. Port spokesperson Donnell Jackson says the paddle wheeler will leave city and head up river…:
Cut 7 (08) “in Baton Rouge”
He says the ship offers inland cruises in the Lower Mississippi River.